


Endgame

by dexstarr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: rarepair_shorts, Death Eaters, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Femslash, It's Bellatrix what do you expect, Older Woman/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 22:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12198246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dexstarr/pseuds/dexstarr
Summary: Hermione knows what is being done to her.





	Endgame

**Author's Note:**

> _Harry Potter_ is not mine and no profit is made from this work. Written for the LJ community [rarepair_shorts](https://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/) Summer 2011 Wishlist Event.

Wizards may not have a name for it, but Hermione Granger does.   
  
She knows exactly what is being done to her, because she has studied Muggle psychology. During her summers, she devoured books on the topic, as well as other subjects that weren’t taught at Hogwarts—biology, calculus, French, and so on. Psychology was her favorite; the subject fascinated her, and she couldn’t help but search for some Muggle explanation for Voldemort’s hatred of everything non-magical.  
  
She never found one, but the information gained those summers is coming in handy now.   
  
Bellatrix Lestrange may not have a name for it, but she does not need one.   
  
For Bellatrix, the process of breaking someone and forcing them to submit is as natural as breathing.   
  
For Hermione, pretending to be broken and to submit is something that goes against every fiber of her being.   
  
Gryffindors are supposed to be strong and daring and brave. They are supposed to spit in the face of evil, to protest and fight at every chance.   
  
But she has chosen a different way.   
  
Hermione tells herself that it takes just as much courage to submit as it does to fight. Only a lioness could pretend to welcome Bellatrix’s twisted affections: the sharp hiss of her whip, the stomach-twisting coolness of her knife.   
  
When Bellatrix shows her off to the other Death Eaters, Hermione kneels with her head pressed to the ground, silent and subdued. She is filth to them, no better than an animal; they soon forget about her and discuss their future plans. Hermione’s eyes gleam with satisfaction as she locks every single detail in her memory.  
  
She knows her chance to escape will come. It will be slim, but it will be there. Maybe Bellatrix will forget to chain her ankle to the bed one night, or will leave her free of the Body-Bind Curse when she goes out. Hermione has been waiting and working towards this since she was captured, trying to get to the point where her submissive behavior will convince Bellatrix she is broken. It is the hardest thing she has ever done, forcing her mind and body to obey every order and whim of the older witch without complaining or hesitating.   
  
When Bellatrix snaps her fingers, Hermione crawls to her without thinking, head resting on a black-robed knee. Thin fingers pet her hair, smoothing back bushy curls, and she purrs quietly.   
  
“Good poppet.”   
  
Mudblood, filth, bitch—those are the names Hermione is used to. Affection is rare, and she relaxes. Her eyes close and her head tilts back.   
  
Then her eyes snap open—  
  
_She didn’t think._  
  
Hermione may know what is being done to her, but that does not mean she can stop it. 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written in July 2011.
> 
> Come visit me on [tumblr!](http://galacticcoyote.tumblr.com/)


End file.
